Confessions of a freelance brand, web and interior designer

Branding & Web DesignPersonalBehind the Scenes

16 June

The human behind the designer

“With so many moving parts, it can be difficult to know how to bring everything together when applying your brand in the real world. That's where brand guidelines come in.”

I started Raego Creative allll the way back in 2014, as a little side hustle and creative outlet while I finished uni.

Sometimes I wonder where one earth the time has gone, and other times I look back with immense sense of pride (with a dash of abject horror) at just how far I’ve come as a designer.

Whether it’s the trials and tribulations of being an inexperienced designer just starting out, or the imposter syndrome and second-guessing that comes with being a newly minted freelancer trying to find their new place in the world – I’ve got my fair share of guilty secrets about how I do what I do.

So I thought I’d share some of these confessions with you – the good, the bad, and the ugly.

When I first started, I would only send logos as PNGs

Yep, I was committing actual criminal offences. We’re talking 12+ years ago now, and I thought that as long as the resolution was 5,000+ pixels it wouldn’t ever be a problem!

Wrong. There will absolutely be certain scenarios where a scalable vector is the only appropriate file type for more reasons than resolution (hello, CMYK), but I was just starting out definitely didn’t have the understanding of vectors and file types that I should have had.

We all start somewhere… but I’m proud to say today all of my clients get their logos in PNG, JPG AND vector EPS/SVG formats in print and digital colour formats.

It’s always good to make sure your designer provides your logos in these formats too (hopefully it’s me)!

I don’t have discovery calls with every client

Discovery calls have become a staple of the beginning of the design process – and for good reason.

They can be a really valuable way to get to know new clients and their needs – especially if it’s a client you’re not already familiar with. They’re also a great way for me to work out whether a client and I are going to be a good fit, or if they’re wanting to move in a direction that doesn’t align with me as a designer.

But sometimes I think they’re just not necessary – or even for the best.

Clear communication is an essential part of the design process, but it can come in many forms, and as long as I’m able to steer things in the right direction and the client is comfortable, that’s all that matters.

I don't start my logo designs in black and white

When it’s finally time to sit down and start the concepts for a new logo, I almost always start with a backdrop of colours and textures that align with the general visual direction of the brand I’m working on.

For me, having the visual backdrop sets the scene and helps me get inspired and visualise the logo concepts better than I could only working in black and white. I also find it makes the concepts look ‘better’, and is closer to how the logo is actually going to be displayed in the real world (because how often do we really see logos in plain black and white these days?).

The exception to this is when I’m sketching out brand marks and iconography in Procreate on my iPad – then it usually becomes easier to work with the high contrast of black and white. But as soon as I bring those concepts over to Illustrator, it’s straight back to colour!

I don’t proof read my own content as thoroughly as I should

This one is just as much a bad trait as it is a guilty confession.

Client work? I’ll proofread that 395 times just so I can sleep easy at night. Work for my own business work? 0 proofreads and good to goooooo!

And you can bet I’ll still get angry at myself when I do inevitably find a typo hiding out in my content (I'm sure there's one in this post somewhere, if you find it, please be a darl and let me know).

My files and artboards are a hot mess

I'm pretty good at keeping things organised in life – my desktop and downloads folders are always empty, my inbox is cleared every day, and my files are generally neatly organised into clearly labelled folders.

But truth be told I feel like I have some rare form of selective OCD that only applies to random elements of my life, because the reality is inside those folders and files it’s a hodgepodge hot mess of random file types, ‘dsnsgnj’ file names, unnamed layers, and chaotic artboards.

Like the house that always looks clean and tidy but if you open the wrong cupboard door all the mess comes pouring out. Basically, how you feel looking at the screen below is how I feel trying to find anything I've just created.

Sharing the behind the scenes process of my designs is not something I have really indulged in too much before, mostly because I’m totally embarrassed by the absolute chaos, but I’m learning to cherish this chaos as a form of humanity – there can be a little bit of beauty in everything!

I will walk away if it’s not a fit

Finding clients as a freelancer can be a daunting process, and during the times where they’re hard to come by it can be easy to fall into the trap of trying to make a square peg fit through a round hole.

When I first transitioned to freelancing full-time, I had a client come along who sounded like they had an exciting project they wanted my help with. But as soon as the discovery call was over, I realised that we weren’t aligned on the strategy and design direction and I politely turned them down.

In some ways it felt like a bit of a failure, but sometimes you just know you’re not the right fit for someone and it’s okay to walk away so you can both find who you’re really meant to be working with.

I don't use wireframes in my website designs

Wireframes are rough sketches (either on paper or a digital canvas) where the elements of the design are mapped out, usually at the very beginning of the web design process.

I haven't touched a wireframe since I was in uni, and I think they're a waste of time in my personal design process.

I design my client's websites from scratch in Squarespace, so I feel there's no need to go through the wireframe process when I can show them an almost fully-functioning draft of their site from the get-go.

Sue me!

I run my studio from home

Sometimes this makes me feel like I’m not ‘legit’ as a designer and business owner, but it just makes sense for where I am right now. And if I’m being honest I’m not sure if I’d ever want to do it any other way.

It keeps my overheads down which allows me to provide better value to my clients and flexibility around what I do – plus it means I get to spend allllll day with my two gorgeous French employees (dog tax below).

I don't have brand guidelines for my own business

I’ll never handover a brand to a client without some form of brand guide, but I’m a total hypocrite when it comes to my own brand.

I feel like I know my brand inside out and as a designer I know how to avoid all the trappings that come with not having them – it’s all in my head so why spend my time on it when I could be working for my client’s instead?

Famous last words. I do want to invest my time into them soon so I can practice what I preach.

I have a mini freak out about financial security at least once a day

Sometimes twice, or 495 times! It's definitely anxiety-inducing to be running a business with no guarantee of enough income coming in.

But I trust that I’ve got this – and the freedom it provides me to work how and when I like, and be choosy about who I work with, is worth it.

I wouldn’t change what I do for the world

Since transitioning into freelancing, I feel like my creativity and motivation to design has exploded. It feels like I’m right where I need to be, doing exactly what I was born to do – and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

I’m so grateful that I’ve been privileged enough to step back from the security of a full-time job in order to pursuit this journey as a freelancer instead – I know not everyone has that opportunity. But being able to do so has given me the space and motivation I need to put my best foot forward.

Doors have started opening, more opportunities to do work that really excites me have been coming my way, and I couldn’t be more thankful that I get to do this for a living.

I hope this has helped you learn more about the human behind the designer

Being a designer or creative – and a freelance one at that – is an ever-evolving journey. There’s ups and downs, continuous growth and learning curves, but I’m so glad to be on this ride.

Drop a comment below with your favourite traits to look for in a designer, or share your juiciest confessions as a freelance designer!

Or if you’re interested in learning more about working with me for your next project, you can book in a free consultation with me here.